CVE-2017-3611 in Berkeley DB
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Data Store component of Oracle Berkeley DB. The supported version that is affected is Prior to 6.2.32. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Data Store executes to compromise Data Store. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Data Store. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.0 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3611 affects Oracle Berkeley DB's Data Store component, representing a significant security weakness that emerged prior to version 6.2.32. This issue resides within the foundational database management system that many applications rely upon for data persistence and storage operations. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while it requires specific conditions to be met, the potential impact makes it a serious concern for organizations deploying this database technology. The attack vector requires an attacker to already have logon access to the infrastructure hosting the Data Store component, suggesting that the vulnerability is more likely to be exploited in environments where attackers have already gained initial access through other means.
The technical flaw manifests in how the Data Store component handles certain operations, creating an avenue for compromise that can lead to complete takeover of the database service. This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as a weakness related to improper handling of data storage operations, specifically falling within CWE-20: Improper Input Validation and CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within a Limited Access Scope. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 7.0 reflects the high severity impact across all three core security principles: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack complexity is rated as high due to the requirement for specific infrastructure access, while the lack of privilege requirements and the need for human interaction beyond the initial compromise indicate a sophisticated attack scenario that requires careful planning and execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of the Data Store service. This represents a critical failure in the security posture of systems relying on Oracle Berkeley DB, potentially allowing attackers to modify database contents, extract sensitive information, or disrupt service availability entirely. Organizations may experience cascading effects where the compromise of a single database instance leads to broader system failures or data breaches across connected applications. The requirement for human interaction from someone other than the attacker suggests that this vulnerability may be exploited through social engineering or by leveraging insider access, making it particularly dangerous in environments where trust relationships exist between users and systems. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would align with techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms, as attackers could use the compromised Data Store to maintain access or move laterally within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected systems to version 6.2.32 or later, while also implementing additional security controls such as network segmentation to limit access to Data Store components, enhanced monitoring of database activities, and regular security assessments of the infrastructure hosting these critical data services. Organizations should also review their access control policies and ensure that logon credentials for database infrastructure are properly protected against unauthorized access. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the need for comprehensive security monitoring across all components of database infrastructure, particularly those handling sensitive data operations. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other database components or related systems that may present additional attack surfaces for potential exploitation.